WORKSHOPS
Actors from Mad Alice Theatre Company deliver high quality drama and music (and art) workshops in both primary & secondary schools.
Workshops use movement and music as well as drama to introduce the children to the text of any play covered. Children also learn techniques used by actors to warm up their voice and body and to stimulate the creative process. The specific plays are explored in a physical way, bringing text, characters and themes to life enabling children to experience the work in a fun, new and creative way. Pupils are prepared for Mad Alice performances they are to watch and gain far more from the experience as a result.
We always ensure that we relate work closely to National Curriculum targets, such as ‘Speaking and Listening’ to ensure that our work is supportive to teachers. Workshops have been delivered on all our productions,(Shakespeare, Aesop's Fables, Hansel & Gretel, Cuddy & His Mates, Yule Tide & Winter Tales, Nonsense and Stuff, She Wins All The Races, Rose and Robin).
We work especially close with some schools (St Pius Xth R C Primary, The Grove Junior and Consett Juniors Schools in particular) to enable children to participate in our performances.
EXAMPLES
1.Dressing up in 50's costumes made by parents and joining in the singing and dancing in our Much Ado About Nothing performance. Also creating a post performance Shakespeare cabaret show. Professional dancers and musicians delivered bespoke workshops in schools preparing the children for the production and helping them to create their Shakespeare cabaret.
2. Dressing up as Fairies & Elves and taking part in a lantern parade at the closing scene of A Midsummer Night's Dream. Professional artists and costume designers delivered lantern making workshops with the children and created costumes for them.
3. Dressing up as sailors and spirits, creating a pre show performance for The Tempest and performing in the initial scene. Professional actors devising performances with the children and rehearsing them into the production. Professional designers preparing their costumes & professional artists delivering mask making workshops. A digital artists also worked with the schools enabling children to create their own digital Shakespeare inspired art work which was exhibited at the local theatre during the tour of the professional production.
4. Dressing up in 60's costumes and performing the
songs with the actors in the Twelfth Night. Professional
actors delivered singing workshops and rehearsed with
the children and professional artists made tie dye T-Shirts
and Badges with the children for their costumes.
5. Actors delivered singing and drama workshops to
school children enabling them to perform the songs with
the actors in Hansel & Gretel.
BESPOKE DRAMA WORKSHOPS IN SCHOOLS & IN THE COMMUNITY
In addition we also deliver bespoke drama workshops on various subjects/themes/texts in schools & community venues as requested and deliver drama projects during half term and school holidays.
We delivered an Easter Holiday drama project with students at St Bede's Secondary School Lanchester, Durham, creating a performance based on the theme of Persecution. We also created a drama workshop on The Great Fire with KS1 children in schools in Newton Aycliffe, Co.Durham.
We also deliver workshops and projects in the wider community, including a series of short films on Domestic Violence and a cabaret performance with young unemployed adults.
We are strongly embedded in our community and members of the community are often involved in our productions including the pre show walkabout Victorian characters for our production of A Midsummer Night's Dream.
